Return-address envelop.



No. 684,298. Patented Oct. 8,*I90L Y T. E. UBRIEN. v

RETURN ADDRESS ENVELUP,

(Applicntion led Doc. 5 1900.) (No HodeL) F191 Yagi .Open here noldeliveredl? n 'f2- J, /f rml' d/'ered remove allier/laf J Witnesses: Invenir:

UNTTED i STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. OBRIEN, OF VATERTGWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

RETURN-ADDRESS ENVELOP.

SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,298, dated October 8, 1901.-

pplication filed December 5, 1900. Serial No. 38,749. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, it ntfty concern.' y

Beit known that I, THOMAS E. OBRIEN, of Vatertown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Return-Address Envelops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mailing-envelops and it has for its object to provide means for concealing a return-address marked on an envelop, so that the name of the sender of a communication need not be open to the inspection of the various persons through whose hands the envelop may pass before reaching the addressee.

The invention involves the use of an auxiliaryiiap covering and concealing the returnaddress, which iiap is designed to be removed by the postmaster should the letter fail of delivery to the addressee, thereby revealing the senders address and enabling the postmaster to return the letter to the sender.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement in envelops which I shall now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure l represent-s a rear elevation of an envelop constructed in accordance with my invention, with both flaps down. Fig. 2 represents a view of the same, with the sealing-flap open. Fig. 3 represents a similar view with both flaps open. Fig. 4 represents a front elevation of the envelop. Fig. 5 represents a rear elevation showing a modification,

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the iigures.

Referring to the drawings, l represents an envelop similar in general to ordinary mailin genvelopsthat is,havin g an unobstructed front face or side 2 for receiving a stamp and the name and addressof the person to whom the letter is addressed, a back face or side 3, and a closure or sealing-iiap 4, attached to the upper edge of the envelop and adapted to be folded over the opening in the back side of the envelop to cover said opening. In-

stead of being symmetrical the iiap 4 is shown as having one side of its lower edge longer than the other side, for a purpose which will presently appear.

5 is an auxiliary iap, also attached to the upper edge of the envelop and located outsideof the sealing-flap 4, so that when both flaps are down the auxiliary iiap will cover the main portion of the sealing-flap. The shorter edge portion of the sealing-flap is shown as uncovered by the auxiliary iiap, the latter being eomplemental in shape to said sealing-flap, so that the two together are symmetrical with respect to the rest of the envelop. The exposed edge of the sealing-flap renders the presence of the latter apparent when both iiaps are down and enables the auxiliary flap to be easily removed without tearing off the under ap. On the outer side of the sealing-flap 4 is placed the return address or designation of the sender, its location being such that when the flaps are down the auxiliary ap 5 covers this return-address. The edges of the sealing-flap 4 are preferably gummed in the ordinary manner, and the lower edge of the auxiliary flap 5 is also gummed to enable said lower edge to adhere to the back of the envelop. On the back or outer side of the auxiliary iiap 5 may be marked a suitable direction relating to the opening of this outer flap should the letter fail of delivery. When the letter fails to be delivered, the postmaster tears off the flap 5, and thus exposes the return-address on the outside of the sealing-flap.

The fold or crease of the auxiliary iiap 5 constitutes a weakened severing-line connecting said flap to the envelop, for, as is well known, an envelop is always weaker at its edges than elsewhere because the sharp bend in the paper tends to break and loosen the iibers.

In Fig. 5 I show a modification in which the sealing-flap 4 andauxiliary flap 5 are l. An envelop having an inner guinmed closure to seal said envelop, and an outer independent gummed @over for said closure adapted to be removed without disturbing the said inner closure, the said closure and the cover therefor being foldable together and in the same direction and bothacross the entrance of the envelop, wherebyT both may be sealed and the inner closure may be left sealed after the removal of the outer cover.

2. An envelop having a closure provided with two independent gunimed sections one of which is adapted to seal the envelop with its contents, and the other having a weakened severing-line to adapt it to be opened or removed without disturbing the sealing-Seetion, said sections being foldable together and in the same direction and both across the entrance of the envelop whereby the seali Y Vitnesses:

M. B. MAY, A. D. HARRISON. 

